Electric brush.



J. GRAVES. ELECTRIC BRUSH. APPLIUATION FILED oo1'.a, 1911.

1,098,666. Patented June 2*, 1914.

COLUMBIA PLANuGR/mn co., wAsmNGToN, n4 c.

UNTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN cranves, or MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ,aSSIeNOIt ro '.r. w. LAonY, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

nLEOrR-Io BRUSH.

To all fwmf/n/ it may concern i Be it known that I, JOHN Graves, citizen of the United States, residing at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of l/Visconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Brushes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to brushes and more particularly to an electric brush to be used for the purpose of treating the scalp and stimulating the hair.

The invention aims, among other things, to so construct the brush that it may be conveniently handled and in which the battery for supplying the electric currentis c0ntained in the handle oi the brush and may be readily removed when it becomes necessary to repair it Or replenish the battery iluid.

A further aim of the invention is to provide an electric brush having its teeth or bristles so mounted that they will at all times be in circuit with the battery, even though they may yield when the brush is being used.

In its preferred form, thc brush 1s provided with an electrode which is designed to be held in one hand while the brush is being manipulated with the other hand.

The invention also contemplates the provision olil an electrode removably secured to the handle so that the hand will come in contact therewith when the handle is grasped.

For a full understanding of the invention reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in vertical longitudinal section illustrating a brush constructed in accordance with the present invention. Fig. 2 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation of the removable electrode inentioned above. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view illustrating a slightly modified form of brush head.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indi cated in all the views of the accompanying drawing by the same reference characters.

In the drawing', the brush head is indicated by the numeral 1 and is formed olf some suitable insulating material, for eX- ample, hard rubber, and is provided in its Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led October 3, 1911.

Patented June 2, 1914. seria-1 No. 652.604.

under side with a shallow recess or depression 2 in which is lixed a metallic plate 3. The teeth or bristles of the brush are indicated by the numeral l and are provided each with a head 5. These teeth a are inserted through a sheet 6 of wire mesh material secured at its edges to the plate 3, the said sheet ol wire mesh material being therefore in circuit with the plate 3 and the heads 5 of the teeth being held by the sheet 6 against the under side of the plate 3. The teeth l are metallic, and as will be readily understood, are in electric circuit with the plate 3 as Well as with the sheet of wire mesh material 6: It is preferable that the sheet of wire mesh material be covered by a sheet of insulating material, preferably sott rubber. The sheet of insulating material is indicated by the numeral 7 and through it project the teeth et, in the manner shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing. The head 1 oli' the brush is formed, at one end, with an intei'iorly threaded socket 9, the threads within the socket being indicated by the numeral 10. The handle of the brush is indicated at 11 and is preferably cylindrical and is closed at one end as at 12. The other end of the handle is reduced and threaded as at 13, and is removably fitted into the socket 9, the handle being in this manner detachably connected with the brush head.

A conductor wire 14 is permanently at tached at one end to the upper side of the plate 3 and extends rearwardly through the head 1 and into a recess 15 formed in the bottom wall ofthe socket 9. A nut 16 is threaded upon the said end of the conductor wire lll in themanner illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawing. The handle 11 is also of insulating material and is hollow as before stated and as indicated by the numeral 17 and litted or arranged within the handle 11 is a galvanic battery, the disks of which are indicated by the numeral 18. At one end, this battery is provided'with a resilient contact tongue 19 which bears against the nut 16, the conductor wire 14 being in this manner placed in circuit with the galvanic hat tery 18. A spring 20` is arranged between the other end o'l the battery 18 and the closed end 12 of the handle 11 and has a tendency to expand whereby to hold the battery with its Contact 19 bearing against the nut 16. It will be readily understood that not only does the spring 2O serve to hold the battery 18 with its contact in 'e'nl gagement with the nut 16, but it also serves as a means for preventing separation of the disks of the battery. A binding screw 21 is threaded into the closed end 12 of the handle 11 and against the inner end of the screw bears the spring 20. A conductor Wire 22 is connected with the binding screw 2l and to an electrode 23 which is adapted to be held in Aone hand or against some portion of the body, while the other hand is employed, in manipulating the brush. Should it not be desired to use the electrode 23 or should it be found inconvenient to use the same, the conductor wire 22 may be disconnected from the binding screw 21 and this screw removed from the closed end of the handle 11. The electrode shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing is then fitted upon the closed end of the handle. This electrode comprises a disk-like body 24 having a flange 25 arranged to t about the handle end l1, and the body 24 is formed with an opening 26 which is axially located and through which the binding screw 21 is to be threaded after the electrode has been fitted upon the handle.

l In the form of the invention shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing, the brush head is providedwith teeth, but if desired, a number of tufts 27 of wire bristles may be mounted in the under side of the head. Conductor wires 28 are in circuit with these tufts and these wires take the place of the wire 14 shown in Fig. l, and are engaged at their ends by the contact 19.

From the foregoing it will be readily understood that when the electrode 23 is held in one hand and the brush is moved over the scalp with the other hand, the circuit will be completed through the body of the user. l/Vhen the electrode shown in Fig. 2 is substituted for the electrode 23, the circuit is completed through the brush when the handle thereof is grasped and the bristles or teeth .of the brush are applied to the scalp.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new is zl. In an electric brush, a head, a hollow removable handle carried thereby, a battery arranged within the handle, an electrode in circuit with the battery, a plate secured to the head and in circuit with the battery, a sheet of wire mesh material, teeth inserted through the openings of the said sheet, and means securing the sheet to the plate.

2,'In an electric brush, an electric conductor consisting of a sheet of wire mesh material, teeth secured through the openings of the said sheet whereby to have latitude of movement, and a source of electric supply in circuitwith the conductor.

3. In an electric brush, a head, a handle carried by the head, a battery arranged within the handle, an electrode in circuit with the battery, a plate secured to the head and in circuit with the battery, a foraminous sheet of conductive material disposed in parallel spaced relation to the plate, and a plurality of teeth of conductive material eX- tending through the openings in said sheet and having heads engaging between the plate and sheet.

1l. In a brush of the class described, a back, a handle connected therewith, teeth 'of conducting material carried by the back, a battery arranged within the handle, the teeth being in circuit with one pole of the battery, a binding post in circuit with the other pole of the battery and including a binding screw, and a cap of conductive material removably litted upon the end of the handle and held in place by the said binding screw.

5. In an electric brush, a metallic plate forming a conductor, 'a foraminous screen of conductive material electrically connected to the plate and spaced therefrom, a plurality of teeth extending loosely through the meshes of the screen and having heads held in engagement with the plate by the screen, and means for supplying current to the plate.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN GRAVES. [1.. 5.]

Witnesses:

LEOLA M. HUSGHMAN, HORACE B. WALURsLnY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of retenu Washington, D. t'. 

